AN: Soooooo . . . I've had this general idea for this fic for a while now. I was inspired by the "Girls like girls" music video and wanted to do a one shot around that for Fleurmione. It wasn't until a couple days ago that I came up with an actual plot. I decided to try writing a little down and then . . . 9,000 words later I have this haha It's going to be a short fic. Probably three to four chapters even though I intended for it to be a one shot. However, I couldn't live with myself if I kept it too short. Classic. As always, here is my music selection. "Girls like girls" by Hayley Kiyoko (obvi), "Still Into You" by Paramore (I liked the slow version though? I was shocked I liked it), "Bust your kneecaps" by Pomplamoose (I think you'll understand why this song inspired me later on lol), and "Sparks" by Coldplay (also slow version). Anyways, I do so hope you guys enjoy this random AU :D
'thoughts'
French
Chapter 1: Seed
Hermione all but skipped into her house, a smile tugging at her lips despite the throbbing behind her right eye and tightness in her cheekbone. Nothing could dampen her mood. Well, maybe her mother who was startled and appalled at seeing her daughter in such a state could.
"Hermione!" The elder woman dropped the dish rag in her hand, scurrying to the young brunette before she could slip away unnoticed. "What happened!?"
"Mum . . ." Hermione sighed as hands pushed her hair out of her face to assess the damage. This was exactly what she didn't want to happen. "It's nothing."
Christine frowned at what looked to be a black eye forming on her only child's face and a red scrape on her cheek. "It is most definitely not nothing, young lady. Tell me who did this? Your father and I-"
"Really." Hermione put on a reassuring smile as she grabbed her mom's hands and took a step back. "I'm fine. I promise. Fleur took care of it."
Amber eyes that resembled Hermione's narrowed as they searched her daughter for more damage. Her shoulders were tense until her eyes landed on a flower in Hermione's hair. "I suppose I should have figured that out from the flower. Thank goodness for that girl."
"Yeah." Hermione mumbled.
"Knowing that Fleur handled it, now I'm worried for the other person." Christine chuckled to herself as she recalled Fleur's fierce loyalty to her daughter. She was all too aware of the scuffles Hermione's friend got in over her. She didn't know where Hermione would be without the french girl. "Should I send flowers to a hospital room or perhaps a funeral?"
Hermione shook her head with a scoff. "No, they're fine."
"I doubt that." A smile started to pull at the corner of slightly wrinkled cheeks. "She has always adored you, you know."
"Mum." Hermione blushed at the statement. Her mood was rapidly beginning to dampen due her teasing mother.
"Oh, don't mum me." Christine laughed as she swatted her daughter's shoulder. "I can't believe I didn't know she was in town."
"She's just visiting for the summer." Hermione rolled her eyes as she took a step back. "Now, if you don't mind-"
"Fine, fine." Christine waved her daughter off. "But I want to hear what happened when you come down for dinner."
Hermione's blush intensified as memories that were still fresh flooded her mind. She reluctantly nodded in acceptance before she went to the stairs, but stopped halfway up when she heard her mother from the kitchen.
"Oh! And invite Fleur and Gabrielle over for dinner!"
Hermione groaned in response. "Okay mum."
Without any further disturbance, Hermione was finally able to make it to her room where she promptly plopped down on her bed. A goofy smile formed on her face as she laid on her back and pulled the white rose from her ear to gander at it. Despite the black eye, today had been one of the best days of her life and it was all thanks to Fleur Delacour.
She remembered the fateful day her neighbors down the street moved in quite vividly. She was seven years old when her family moved to America and a year later, the Delacours followed suit.
Since she had trouble making friends, due to the other children constantly making fun of her accent and her know-it-all tendencies, her parents saw a golden opportunity. On their drive home from work, they saw the newcomers unpacking with two little girls looking to be about Hermione's age. Surely, they would need someone to play with and their daughter, whether she would admit it or not, was in desperate need of friends and socialization.
True to her stubborn nature, Hermione huffed and puffed the entire way to the foreigner's house with a plate of cookies in hand. Her parents insisted she bring the treats to show how good of a neighbor she was. It was the polite thing to do. Hermione, personally, found it to be pointless and embarrassing.
When they knocked on the door, they were greeted with a stunning couple. The woman was tall with long blonde locks, her husband had wavy brown hair, and both had kind blue eyes. Hermione didn't pay much attention to the adults conversing, but her ears did perk when she heard the couple yell something in another language followed by feet scurrying on hardwood flooring.
The first to make their appearance was a girl Hermione's height hiding behind her mother, bright blue eyes peeking around legs curiously.
"Zis ees Gabrielle." Apolline laughed at her daughter's shyness, ruffling her hair playfully. "She ees eight."
"How perfect." Christine almost jumped for joy at the revelation that their kids were the same age. "So is Hermione."
"And zis is our eldest." Claude nodded his head to another girl coming down the stairs behind them. "Fleur. She ees nine."
A smile lit up Fleur's face as she waved at the newcomers. Being the social butterfly she is, she approached the new girl that was blushing as she looked down at the cookies.
"Are those for us?"
Once more, that foreign language was spoken, but by Fleur this time attempting to speak to her neighbor.
"Here." Hermione mumbled as she shoved the cookies into Fleur's hands.
"Hermione." Jacob scolded his daughter, but Apolline and Claude waved it off.
"Eet ees fien." Apolline smiled. "Per'aps we can arrange a playdate. Be patient wiz zem zough." Blue eyes twinkled, looking down at Hermione. "Zey 'aven't been given much time to learn English."
Christine looked at the blonde girl still grinning at Hermione. "I'm sure that won't be a problem."
A week later Hermione was standing awkwardly in the front yard of the Delacour's house while the two blondes kicked a ball around. Her mother was sitting on the porch with Apolline, lost in a pleasant conversation, leaving Hermione wondering what she was supposed to do. She wasn't particularly interested in sports, but the other girls seemed very active, happily chatting in french.
"Hermione, dear." Christine spoke up when she saw her daughter making no effort to try to play. "Why don't you join? You know how to play football."
"I don't want to-"
Hermione's imminent tirade was cut short when the ball rolled to her feet. She looked up, ready to berate the other girls when she saw Fleur running at her full speed. Dread filled her gut as the taller girl showed no sign of stopping until she got to the ball and started playfully maneuvering around the brunette, attempting to do tricks, as if Hermione was actively trying to block her.
Gabrielle's giggles filled the yard as Hermione stood there clearly confused as to what was happening. Then the older girl kicked the ball past Hermione and proceeded to run in circles with her hands in the air, yelling, "goal!"
"What?" Hermione blinked while the mothers chuckled to themselves. "I'm not even playing." She huffed as she crossed her arms.
Fleur continued, unbothered, smiling at how amused her little sister was by her antics.
"You're weird." Hermione grumbled.
That statement was enough to make Fleur stop and frown at her neighbor. "Non."
"Yes, you-"
Before Hermione could finish, Fleur stomped off to the garden. Everyone watched, the adults equally perplexed as to what the older girl was doing. With a hard tug, Fleur pulled a white rose from the ground and returned to the british girl while Apolline shook her head with a smile. She understood now.
Fleur didn't know what the word weird meant. She thought Hermione had used the wrong name and was correcting her.
"Fleur." Fleur spoke firmly, holding the flower out to Hermione.
Hermione raised an eyebrow at the action. "What?"
"Fleur." The blonde spoke more earnestly. "Flower." She smiled, proud of herself for remembering the english word.
"Yes, I understand." Hermione groaned. "Your name is Fleur and that is a flower."
"Fleur." The eldest's grin grew as she broke the stem, careful not to cut herself on a thorn.
Hermione flinched away when Fleur brought her hand up with the rose, but it did not deter the french child.
"Fleur." She spoke one last time as she put the flower in Hermione's hair, tucking the stem behind Hermione's ear.
"Uh . . ." Hermione looked helplessly to the adults quietly laughing.
"'Er name means flower." Apolline yelled out to Hermione. "She 'as been obsessed with ze roses and ze word ever since she found out."
"Oh." Hermione blushed at the attention and for not knowing that fact. "That makes sense." She looked back to the pleased french girl uneasily. "Uh . . . thank you . . . Fleur."
Over the summer, the girls became closer, playing a couple times a week. The language barrier was still there, but the blondes were learning. Fleur was quicker than Gabrielle and it proved to be troublesome for the younger girl when they started school.
Not knowing a single person in their grade and knowing little to no english, Gabrielle naturally gravitated towards Hermione. She was practically attached at the hip with the british girl who had already been a bit of an outcast herself. Fleur, on the other hand, didn't have much trouble at all. She found a friend group she spent lunch with instead of the other two almost right away, but was always there to stick up for the more bashful girls.
During lunch one day, Hermione was attempting to help Gabrielle with her english. Gabrielle seemed pleased that someone was at least trying to converse with her, even if it wasn't much. It was when she turned to Hermione that she accidentally knocked into a boy with black hair and a buzzcut that was particularly nasty.
"Pardon." Gabrielle mumbled feebly when the boy turned around with a scowl.
"Speak english." He sneered, getting in the small girl's personal space. "No one can understand you, you little freak."
He went to tug on her blonde strands, but Hermione stepped between them. She had quickly become protective of the sweet girl and wouldn't stand for anyone picking on Gabrielle like they did to her. She didn't deserve it and was too timid to do anything about it herself.
"Hey." Hermione scowled, pushing the boy away from Gabrielle. "Leave her alone. She's trying."
"Stay out of it, nerd." He shot back, pushing Hermione back much harder, sending the girl falling down onto her butt.
He made a move to step forward as tears stung the brunette's eyes, but before he could get too far a taller figure stepped in front of Hermione. With a rough shove, he went tumbling to the cold ground with a yelp. He looked up to see usual playful blue eyes were steely as Fleur towered over him.
"Don't touch." She growled while her posse she had accumulated stepped up behind her.
Gabrielle, on the verge of tears herself, started speaking to Fleur in rapid french. She held onto her sister's arm, hiding behind the intimidating girl while Fleur glared down at the boy.
"You pick on my sister?" Fleur snarled as Gabrielle nodded her head.
Fleur's english was still very limited, but her body language said everything as she stepped over the boy. She grabbed him by the front of his shirt, lifting him off the ground a bit. "Don't. Touch."
"Okay, okay." He cowered away, flinching when Fleur raised her fist.
"Say sorry." She ordered coldly.
His dark eyes shifted to Gabrielle still hiding behind her sister. "S-sorry."
"'Ermione too." Fleur barked, still not satisfied.
"Sorry Hermione."
With one final shove back to the ground, Fleur released the boy before turning to Hermione and crouching down. She offered the tearful brunette a smile as she held out her hand. "You okay?"
The tears in Hermione's eyes almost immediately diminished at the kind smile and hand Fleur offered. A sniffle left her nose as she gratefully took the other girl's hand and was pulled to her feet with ease. She felt a little safer now that Fleur was standing there, patting her shoulder. No one would push her around anymore. At least, not as long as Fleur was around.
/
After that day, no one really bullied Hermione anymore. Even though Fleur wasn't always around, people were still careful with the girls and when they went into high school, Gabrielle and Hermione spent even less time with Fleur. It was to be expected Hermione supposed.
Of course, Fleur had grown to be gorgeous just like her mother and her sister. While Gabrielle got involved in theater, Fleur was captain of the volleyball team and on the dance team. She was easily the most popular girl at school, but that didn't mean she let anyone pick on her sister or Hermione.
If any of her friends made any remark about either of the girls, all Fleur had to do was send a cold glare in their direction and they promptly shut their mouth. Too many people had found out what happened when they went too far with her sister or Hermione. Fleur had served many detentions defending the duo.
It wasn't to say that Hermione and Gabrielle weren't well accepted anymore though. The accents that once got the girls made fun of were now what people liked the most about them. People enjoyed Hermione's british slang and Gabrielle's random outbursts in french.
In fact, Hermione had become liked enough to get asked on her first date when she was fifteen. After school, Johnny from her math class asked her on a date. He had dark brown hair, green eyes, and was on the lacrosse team.
They didn't really have much in common, but that hardly mattered to a young teenage girl. She had her first date. She was taking her first step to being an adult. She would maybe even get her first kiss and she couldn't wait.
She wore her cutest top, favorite shorts, and even took her time with her difficult hair to make it look nice. She was so nervous, she waited in her living room for their movie date well before five, the time he said he would pick her up, while she anxiously watched the clock. It wasn't until an hour later that Hermione realized she had been stood up.
She felt the acute sting of rejection when the clock struck six and he still hadn't called or even bothered to reply to any of her texts. While she wondered if he even gave her his actual number, her mother looked at her with sad brown eyes and it made her feel even more pathetic. She didn't know why she thought someone would actually ask her out. It had all probably just been a joke. Jock asks the nerdy girl on a date just to stand her up. Classic.
She held back tears as she stood from the couch while her parents apprehensively watched for what she was going to do.
"Sweetie, maybe-"
"I'm going to go see Gabrielle." Hermione shrugged with her back to her parents. She didn't want them to see how pitiful she really felt. She just wanted to take comfort in her friend's company. Gabrielle was always good at cheering her up. Even though she had no problem getting dates and had one well before Hermione had ever been asked, she knew her friend wouldn't put her down. She never made Hermione feel bad about things like that or flaunted it.
"Okay." Her dad nodded. "You can stay the night there too if it's okay with her parents."
Hermione nodded her head as she swallowed the lump in her throat and did the walk of shame all the way to the Delacour's gorgeous house.
When Hermione knocked on the front door, she expected Gabrielle to open it with an understanding smile, but instead she was greeted with a flushed Fleur Delacour in shorts and a sports bra. Her hair was up in a high ponytail and she was covered in a light layer of sweat as her chest heaved. It would seem Hermione interrupted her workout.
"'Ermione?" Fleur spoke between pants with a crinkled brow. "What are you doing here?"
Hermione avoided that probing gaze, opting to look at the floor instead as she scuffed her shoe against the pavement. "Is Gabrielle here?"
"No." Fleur shook her head. "Mom and dad took her to see a play."
"Oh." Hermione nodded her head sadly. "Well, then I'll just go. I-"
"What happened?" Fleur frowned as she stepped out of the house towards the brunette. "You seem upset."
"No." Hermione blinked back tears and put on a smile as she looked up at the taller girl. "Everything is okay."
Fleur narrowed her eyes at the nerdy girl. She may not hang out with Hermione and Gabrielle much anymore, but she knew when the other girl was lying. There were unshed tears in those amber eyes that Hermione was desperately trying to hold back. Something had definitely happened and she came to cry to Gabrielle, but she wasn't there. She was and she wasn't going to leave Hermione in a pit of despair all by herself.
She realized Hermione might not be completely comfortable being with just her so she did her best to make the bookworm feel more at ease with a smile.
"I know I'm not Gabrielle, but why don't you hang out with me?"
Hermione's eyes widened at the invitation. She seldom hung around Fleur for more than thirty minutes these days. It was always her and Gabrielle. Surely Fleur had more important or cool things to do than hang out with Hermione Granger.
"I-I wouldn't want to intrude." Hermione shook her head as she stepped back. "You look like you're in the middle of something."
"I just finished working out." Fleur waved off the other girl's concern. "And it's quite lonely in this big house when you're by yourself so your company would be nice."
"Oh, well." Hermione rubbed the back of her head as she debated on what to do. She didn't really want to go back home and deal with her parent's sympathetic looks, but she wasn't sure about hanging out with the older girl by herself. She didn't want Gabrielle getting mad at her for spending time with her older sister. She could be a bit insecure at times when it came to Fleur. "If you don't think Gabrielle will mind . . ."
"Why would she?" Fleur scoffed. "Now, come on. I need to take a shower and then we can do each other's nails." She grinned as she grabbed Hermione by the arm and steered her inside before she could change her mind.
Hermione felt a bit awkward as she sat on Fleur's bed and looked at the light blue walls while the other girl showered. She hadn't been in her room before. Admittedly, it was nice. The bed was really soft, the room was neat, and smelled like light perfume. The walls were littered with pictures of Fleur and her friends much like Gabrielle's room was covered in pictures of her and Hermione.
Hermione's eyes drifted, taking in her surroundings when her eyes landed on a photo on the vanity of Gabrielle, Hermione, and Fleur when they were just eight years old. A smile pulled at her lips when she noticed it sitting there. Who would have thought Fleur would keep a picture like that.
"What are you smiling about?" Fleur playfully asked as she breezed into the room. Her hair was wet and she wore just a pair of blue pajama shorts and a loose white t-shirt with two bottles of nail polish in her hand.
"Nothing." Hermione shook her head, looking down at her hands as Fleur sat down on the floor.
"If you say so." Fleur shrugged as she loosened the top of the first bottle. "Now, come over here and try this new nail polish from my parent's company."
Hermione raised an eyebrow as she moved to sit in front of the volleyball player. "Dipping into their stash?"
Fleur smiled impishly at the brunette. "Maybe."
"What is it?" Hermione tilted her head curiously as Fleur started carefully brushing the liquid onto her nails.
"It has specs of diamonds in it." Fleur held her hand up in the light, moving it left and right so Hermione could see it sparkling. "See?"
"Looks expensive." Hermione mumbled as she leaned back against the bed.
"It is." Fleur replied as she took her time applying it to the rest of her nails while Hermione looked up at the ceiling, unsure of what to say once the quiet settled over them.
It was only a couple of minutes later when Fleur looked up at Hermione with bright sapphires, holding out her hand expectantly. "Okay, I'm done. It's your turn now."
"What?" Hermione frowned as Fleur grabbed her right hand and dipped the brush back into the nail polish. "Fleur, I can't. I don't want you to waste-"
"It's not a waste." Fleur rolled her eyes as she kept a firm grip on the other girl's hand. "Hold still so I can do your nails."
Hermione just let out a huff as Fleur carefully moved the wet brush over her nail. Fleur shook her head with a smile in return at how stubborn the other girl could be. Hermione always had to be difficult, but she found it cute even when they were little.
"Now . . ." Fleur spoke as she moved on to another nail, keeping her eyes on the brunette's hand so Hermione would feel more comfortable. "Do you want to tell me what happened?"
A blush lit up Hermione's cheeks at the question. It was hard enough admitting she had gotten stood up, but admitting it to Fleur Delacour was something else entirely. Fleur was literally perfect in every single way. There wasn't a single person at their school that didn't want to date her. There was no way the older girl could relate.
"It's not a big deal." Hermione mumbled as she pulled up her knees so she could rest her chin on them.
"Seems like a big deal." Fleur replied calmly. "Like I said before, I'm not Gabrielle, but whatever you say does stay here." She looked up to the nerdy girl avoiding her gaze. "I promise." She squeezed Hermione's hand reassuringly.
Hermione bit her lower lip as she sunk further into her knees. Talking about the situation would probably make her feel better. While Fleur wasn't her best friend, Fleur never did anything nasty to her. She was always so kind and stood up for her even though they weren't around each other as much anymore. Maybe telling her wouldn't be so bad.
"I um . . ." Hermione cleared her throat. "I had a date tonight."
"Oh?" Fleur's soothing voice flitted through the room. "Had?"
"He stood me up." Hermoine spoke quickly and quietly into her own skin, hiding her face behind her knees from the sheer agonizing embarrassment of it all.
Fleur paused her movement, her posture stiffening when she heard the admission. "What?"
Hermione let out a shaky sigh as she nervously opened her eyes and lifted them just barely above her knees to peer at the blonde who looked absolutely livid. Her normally vibrant blue eyes were that scary icy color when the french girl was pissed off. Generally, Hermione saw that look when the french girl was about to attack.
"I-I . . ." Hermione gulped. "Got stood up."
Fleur narrowed her eyes, her jaw clenching. "By who?"
"Johnny." Hermione squeaked out.
"Johnny?" Fleur scoffed. "Zat boy on ze lacrosse team?"
Hermione could tell Fleur was getting angrier by the second by the french accent coming out. It always happened when the older girl was infuriated. She had done so well getting rid of it, but it still slipped in these moments. Hermoine would never admit it, but she liked it.
"Yeah." Hermione ducked her head, concealing her face behind a curtain of brown locks. "He was supposed to come by my house at five and he never even called or texted . . ."
"'E didn't call?" Fleur growled before she started mumbling rapidly in french. Hermione could only assume it was nothing good.
"It's not a big deal." Hermione tried to calm the other girl down with a smile. "Really."
"It is a big deal." Fleur huffed, glaring at the other girl. "Who would be stupid enough to give up the chance to go on a date with 'Ermione Granger?"
The blush returned full force to Hermione's cheeks at the compliment. "I don't think anyone wants to date me."
"Don't be absurd." Fleur frowned. "That isn't true. I mean, look at you."
"There's nothing special-"
"Don't say that." Fleur cut her off with a stern look before the bookworm could finish. "You're intelligent, kind, and very pretty."
Hermione could feel the back of her neck heating up as she tucked some hair behind her ear self consciously. "You think I'm pretty?"
Fleur furrowed her brow as she finished up Hermione's nails. "Of course." She mumbled as she brought Hermione's hand up to her face so she could gently blow on the drying polish. "You're naturally pretty." Arctic blue glanced back up with a quiet intensity that made Hermione squirm and look away. "You don't need to wear a pound of makeup like every other girl at our school. Everyone's jealous of your natural complexion. I don't know what they would do with themselves if you actually put on the tiniest bit of makeup."
"I don't think it would do much." Hermione laughed nervously.
"Don't believe me?" Fleur scoffed. "Watch."
Hermione watched as Fleur got up and went to her vanity. She opened a drawer and grabbed some foundation, eyeliner, and lipgloss before plopping back in front of the younger girl.
"Come here." Fleur instructed and Hermione dutifully listened.
Hermione sat there tensely while Fleur carefully applied a minimal amount of foundation to her face, then followed up with a little eyeliner, and finished with lip gloss.
"See?" Fleur said softly, running her thumb underneath Hermione's full lower lip, careful not to touch the shiny pink gloss above. "You just get prettier and prettier." She mumbled as brilliant blue clouded over and zeroed in on supple lips. Her thumb lingered, itching to move up a couple centimeters to touch and see if Hermione's lips felt as soft as they looked.
"I uh . . ." Hermione's heart beat erratically from Fleur's gentle touch. She could feel that damned blush return when she saw how Fleur's gaze paused on her mouth. This was all totally normal. Right? "Can't see myself."
"Right." Fleur's eyes snapped back to Hermione's and if Hermione wasn't mistaken, the blonde was blushing too. "Have a look in the mirror."
Hermione stood up and went to look at herself and was impressed at the results of Fleur doing her makeup. Her eyes looked more golden with the black eyeliner, her skin seemed to glow, and her lips were perfectly moist and pink.
"Wow, you're great at that." Hermione smiled as she turned around.
"I was just highlighting features that were already there." Fleur shrugged as she suddenly became very busy with putting the makeup away.
She was closing the drawer when her phone on the vanity rang. When she glanced down at the screen she frowned when she saw the number calling. Ironically, she was supposed to go on a date tonight, but suddenly, this felt much more important so she sent a quick text instead.
Hermione shifted uncomfortably when she noticed Fleur's brow furrow as she looked at her phone. She would hate to think she was getting in the way of Fleur's social life. "Do you need to call them back?"
"No." Fleur tossed her phone onto the bed, plastering a smile on her face as she looked back at the brunette. "It's not important."
"Okay."
"Hey." Fleur tugged on Hermione's wrist, a fun idea striking her that might lift the other girl's spirits more. "How about we go get ice cream? I think you could use it and I would love the excuse to take advantage of my drivers permit."
Hermione raised an eyebrow at the dancer. "Don't you need someone with a license with you to drive?"
"I won't tell if you won't." Fleur winked at the bookworm who let out a laugh.
"Fine, but you're paying."
"Of course." Fleur put up her nose. "I would be an awful date if I didn't."
Hermione almost doubled over at the blonde's statement. "A date?"
"Oui." Fleur grinned. "But no funny business." She waved her finger in Hermione's face.
"Great." Hermione shook her head as she rolled her eyes at dancer's antics Fleur always did have an odd sense of humor. "My first date is going to be with Fleur Delacour."
"You could do much worse than me, Hermione Granger." Fleur flipped her hair while Hermione inwardly groaned. "You'll be the envy of the entire school."
"Bloody french girls."
/
After getting ice cream and some light conversation, Fleur stood in her driveway, fidgeting with her car keys as she watched Hermione start to walk away. She had offered to drop Hermione off at home, but the brunette insisted she preferred to walk. Fleur didn't like the idea, but knew there was no use arguing with her.
She oddly felt disappointed as Hermione slipped further away. She had a really fun time and didn't want the night to end. At least not on this note. It felt wrong.
She worried her lower lip with her teeth for a minute while she debated on what to do until she realized what was missing.
"Wait." Fleur called out, causing the younger girl to pause in her steps.
Hermione furrowed her brow as she turned around. "What is it?"
Fleur jogged to her mother's garden, grabbed a white rose, and broke the stem before she approached the shorter girl. A small smile tugged at the corner of her mouth as she tucked some hair behind Hermione's ear and placed the flower in the usual spot.
Hermione's heart did an uncharacteristic skip at the action, but tried to push the feeling aside. It was probably nothing. "The flower again?"
"Oui." Fleur nodded her head, taking a small step back. "Couldn't let you leave without it."
"Right, well . . ." Hermione was at a loss for words, which made no sense. She could feel blood rushing into her ears and that familiar tingle in her cheeks again. What the hell was going on? "Thank you." Hermione smiled timidly while Fleur avoided her gaze this time. "For everything."
Fleur swallowed the lump inexplicably lodged in her throat, nodding her head. "Of course. Goodnight 'Ermione."
"Night Fleur." Hermione waved over to the french girl before walking back home with these unfamiliar feelings she didn't know how to identity coursing through her. She wasn't sure how to decipher them. All she knew was she definitely felt much better than when she left and was weirdly grateful it had been Fleur who answered the door instead of Gabrielle.
The next morning, Hermione had all but forgotten about Johnny standing her up until she saw him approaching her and Gabrielle in the halls with a black eye and a slight limp. He looked nervous, his green eyes shifting to somewhere down the hall as he gripped the strap of his backpack.
"Hey, uh, Hermione." He stumbled over his words while Hermione crossed her arms and Gabrielle eyed him suspiciously. "Sorry about last night. I was a jerk for standing you up and it wasn't funny."
Hermione raised an eyebrow in response. "Why the sudden change of heart?"
"N-no reason." He shook his head. "Listen, I just wanted to say sorry and I won't be bothering you again. You're too good for me."
"Okay . . ." Hermione furrowed her brow at the odd statement. Who says something like that?
"Well . . ." The boy stood there awkwardly for a moment. "Yeah. Later." He scurried away before Hermione could even try to come up with a response.
"That was weird." Hermione mumbled to herself as Gabrielle frowned, turning to her friend.
"He stood you up? Why didn't you tell me?"
"It wasn't a big deal." Hermione shrugged. "I didn't fancy him anyway."
"Well, that's good I guess." Gabrielle sighed, hugging her books to her chest. "Wonder what happened to him though."
Amber eyes drifted down the hall to where Johnny had been looking and suddenly everything became all too clear when she saw a familiar head of blonde hair. Bright blue depths were glancing her way while Fleur leaned against the lockers with her arms crossed. She wore that damned smug smile, looking entirely too pleased with herself while her friends happily chatted around her.
Hermione just shook her head at the athlete with a small smile. "I guess we'll never know."
/
"What are you reading, nerd?"
Hermione huffed when the book she was immersed in was abruptly pulled from her hands from behind. She had been patiently waiting in the living room for Gabrielle to finish putting on her bikini when Fleur showed up.
As usual, the blonde immediately pestered her. One would think the elder Delacour would have matured a bit more at the age of seventeen, but Fleur was still . . . well, Fleur.
"You won't like it." Hermione tilted her head back on the couch, looking upside down at the stunning french girl wearing shorts and a black bikini top. When she stared a little too long at the athlete's toned stomach, she quickly averted her gaze back to the coffee table. She had to stop doing that. "It doesn't have any pictures." She finished with a smirk, earning her an eye roll from Fleur.
"Ha ha." Fleur replied sarcastically. "What is this anyways?" She asked as she jumped over the back of the couch. Being the pest she loved to be, she laid across the furniture, carelessly throwing her exposed legs over Hermione's lap while she flipped through the pages. Hermioen tried not to think about the warm, soft skin touching her own thighs. "A romance novel?"
"Yeah, right." Hermione scoffed, attempting to snatch the book back from her friend's sister.
"Nope." Fleur pulled the book back with a teasing smile, her eyes sparkling mischievously. "What's the magic word?"
Hermione put on a fake sweet smile. "Piss off."
"Unfortunately, that is incorrect." Fleur tsked, pulling the book closer to her chest when Hermione reached for it again.
"Fleur!" Hermione whined petulantly.
"Now, now 'Ermione." Fleur shook her head, her grin widening. "Don't be so rude."
"I'm not the rude one." Hermione grumbled to herself. "And you know how to properly say my name." Amber eyes narrowed at the amused girl next to her. "You've been able to pronounce h's for a while now."
"Oui." Fleur nodded her head as she sat up and tossed the book to the side. "But . . ." She pressed her lips to the shell of Hermione's ear. "You love it when I pronounce your name like that. 'Ermione." She purred into brunette's ear impishly.
Hermione blushed at the other girl's flirtatious nature. Ever since their 'date' last year, the atmosphere between the two of them had definitely shifted. Fleur used to be more scarce, but now she showed up more when Hermione was around. She would often throw her arm around Hermione's shoulders or find a way to be close and touch the bookworm.
It always left Hermione feeling flustered. Her heart would flutter uncomfortably in her chest when Fleur's fingertips would graze against her skin on 'accident' when she was grabbing something from across the table. She made a habit of resting her legs across Hermione's lap when she was sitting on the couch and despite Hermione's squirming, she never moved. It seemed to please the blonde to no end to put Hermione on edge like that and Hermione was left completely confused as to why it affected her so much.
"'Ermione." Fleur repeated herself, evoking a shudder from the younger girl.
"Stop." Hermione huffed as goosebumps ran up her neck and spine from the warm breath brushing against her skin. "That tickles."
"Oh?" Fleur raised an eyebrow, a coy smile pulling at her full lips. "Well, what about this?"
"Wha-"
Before Hermione knew what was happening, Fleur straddled her lap and lithe fingers were assaulting her ribs and sides. Hermione burst into a fit of giggles as she squirmed under the taller girl. She wiggled left and right as she tried to get away from the relentless assault, but there was no escaping Fleur Delacour.
"Fleur!" Hermione cried out breathlessly, her face turning red from how hard she was laughing. "S-stop!"
"Say 's'il vous plait'." Fleur replied in a sing-song voice.
"Never!"
"What are you doing?" Gabrielle's perplexed voice interrupted the pair.
Fleur stopped tickling the brunette to look up at her little sister with mischief playing in her vibrant sapphires. "Torturing 'Ermione."
Gabrielle rolled her eyes in response. "You're so weird, Fleur. Get off my best friend."
"I suppose you're safe." Fleur sighed as she rolled off to the side to sit next to Hermione who was still trying to catch her breath and not think about how nice it felt to have Fleur in her lap. "For now." She added at the end, looking over to the witty girl with a smirk.
"What are you still doing here anyway?" Gabrielle asked as she made a point to wedge herself between her sister and Hermione. She could tell Fleur was enjoying antagonizing Hermione too much. It's all she seemed to do these days and it left her friend constantly fidgeting. "I thought you were going to hang out with your boyfriend."
"I am." Fleur stuck up her nose and as if he was summoned by the mere mention of him, her on again, off again boyfriend, Chase entered the house.
A wolf whistle pierced the air as the boy entered the living room. Hermione refrained from rolling her eyes at the sound the annoyingly handsome guy made. She could feel her mood rapidly dampening and he had only been there for all of thirty seconds. She couldn't stand him.
Chase was the most attractive guy at school, but was, in her opinion, irritating. He had medium length dirty blonde hair that always looked perfectly windswept. His blue eyes rivaled Fleur's own and his smile made almost every girl in their high school melt. He was captain of the football and baseball team so naturally, he and Fleur gravitated towards each other. They were a perfect match. Looks wise. Outside of that, Hermione couldn't fathom why they were together.
"Oh, stop." Fleur waved him off, but it was clear she enjoyed the attention.
"You look good enough to eat." He growled playfully while Hermione bristled and Gabrielle gagged.
The younger Delacour scowled. "We're here, you know."
"Then I'm going to have to kidnap your sister and take her somewhere more private then." He wiggled his eyebrows before he charged and grabbed Fleur around the middle, lifting her off the couch while she squealed.
"Stop it." She laughed while Hermione picked her book back up, pretending not to notice or care about the interaction.
Despite trying to bury her nose in the book to block out the aggravating couple, she still heard the splash in the pool. Of course they would choose to have a pool date when she and Gabrielle had decided on doing one themselves. Chase always made a habit of ruining her mood and plans.
"I don't know what she sees in that bloke." Hermione mumbled to herself when she heard Fleur giggling in the distance.
"Muscles and a pretty face." Gabrielle laughed while her friend actually rolled her eyes this time.
"He's a jerk."
"He is." The french girl nodded her head in agreement. "I'm sure they'll break up again soon. She can only stand him for a couple months at a time. He's too air-headed and possessive. Those are her words."
"That's putting it lightly." Hermione scowled when the giggling stopped so she could only assume they were doing their favorite activity, which was sucking each other's faces off. How she loathed walking in on those two completely unprepared. She didn't understand why they couldn't find somewhere more private to do that. She didn't need to see their tongues practically down each other's throats. It was disgusting and infuriating. "Guess our pool day is ruined then."
"Forget them." Gabrielle waved off her friend as she stood up. "I want to get some sun. They don't own the pool."
Hermione groaned as she begrudgingly got to her feet. She really didn't want to be anywhere near Fleur and Chase. She detested how he would cling to Fleur. He constantly grabbed the tall blonde's waist or was whispering something into her ear that made her giggle.
It set her teeth on edge every time she saw how Fleur shuddered at his touch. Surely, she could do better than him. She wasn't shallow like him. She was actually a kind person, smart, and driven. Chase was just a typical jock.
When they stepped outside, Hermione almost turned right back around when she saw the two doing exactly what she thought they would be doing. Their lips were locked while they stood in the shallow end of the pool. Disgustingly enough, Chase had his hands on Fleur's ass, pulling her closer to him while he sloppily kissed the older girl.
Gabrielle cleared her throat loudly and Fleur promptly pulled away to look up at the younger girls. "Oui?"
"Can't you do that somewhere else?" Gabrielle sighed as Fleur turned around, which in turn Chase took as a chance to wrap his arms around his girlfriend from behind.
"Don't be such a prude." Fleur laughed while Chase chuckled into her neck.
Hermione pointedly ignored the bickering and the couple as she stripped down to her blue bikini and laid out on one of the tanning chairs with her book in hand. She had no interest in watching the two practically mate in the pool. She would be just fine reading in the sun.
With her nose buried in the pages though, she missed the way Fleur's eyebrows rose as she stripped down. The blonde completely forgot about her boyfriend as she took in Hermione's figure. She really did get more beautiful as each year passed, but that hardly mattered along with her growing clarity of her sexuality. Hermione was off limits. She was her little sister's best friend. It could never happen. Right?
While Hermione flipped through her book, she let the sound of the splashing water fade into the background. That is, until she heard the telltale sound of wet feet hitting the ground. By the sound of it, it was Chase going into the house.
"You really don't do anything other than read, do you?" Fleur smiled as she sprawled out on the chair next to the bookworm.
Beneath her sunglasses, Hermione subtly looked over to the stunning blonde. Her mouth went dry as she took in Fleur's body glistening under the sun. Water droplets ran down her cleavage to her tight stomach, a true testament to how hard she trained for volleyball and dancing. One toned, slim leg was propped up as crystal blue eyes locked onto her in a way that made her heart flutter.
'What the hell Granger? Get it together.' Hermione inwardly scolded herself. 'Stop staring at her like that. Not that there's anything wrong with looking at her. It's not like you're into her or anything. You just, you know . . . like spending time with her because she's really nice, smart, pretty, has legs for days, a cute smile, and lips that you could just . . . Oh god.' Hermione immediately put a stop to that train of thought. It was one that she found herself getting sucked into far too often these days.
She had started becoming painfully aware that she was attracted to the same sex. Ever since that night with Fleur, she had been looking at women differently and had been slowly putting the pieces together. A part of her had already accepted her attraction to the same sex, but still, Fleur wasn't an option. 'You can't like your best friend's older sister. That's just wrong . . . there's a code about that . . . right? It doesn't matter either way. You are definitely not into Fleur Delacour. She's just trying to mess with you like she always does.'
"I don't just read." Hermione feebly defended herself once she pulled herself from her gay panic. "I date around too you know."
"Oh, I'm all too aware of that." Fleur mumbled irritably. After their little date, Hermione ended up taking to makeup and for some reason, everyone suddenly saw how attractive she was, but they didn't appreciate her beauty before so why should Hermione give them the time of day now? It made no sense and irritated the older girl to no end.
Hermione raised an eyebrow. "What?"
"Nothing." Fleur muttered.
"And besides," Hermione continued haughtily, choosing to ignore Fleur's statement. There was no need to try to decipher the athlete's tone. It would just further confuse her. "I just read when I have no interest in conversing with those around me."
Fleur let out a good natured laugh at the stubborn girl. "Oh, so I'm not interesting enough to entertain the amazing Hermione Granger anymore?"
"I didn't say that." Hermione grumbled as she tried to hide her blush in her book.
"Oh, come on." Fleur sighed as she stood up. "It's hot. Get in the pool."
"And risk getting some Chase on me?" Hermione scoffed. "I think not."
"Don't be difficult." Fleur pouted. "He's not that bad."
"What a great argument." Hermione replied sarcastically. "He's not that bad."
Fleur ignored the comment as she stood up and stretched, trying not to think about the implications of Hermione disliking her boyfriend so much. "Don't make me drag you into the pool."
"If I put my legs in the water, will you leave me alone?" Hermione asked exasperatedly as she closed her book to meet twinkling blue eyes.
"No promises."
"You're the worst." Hermione spoke quietly as Fleur dove back into the water.
The brunette reluctantly moved to the edge of the pool, putting her legs into the cool water, which admittedly did feel really nice. It was definitely a hot summer and she was beyond grateful she had a friend that owned a pool. Otherwise, she would just be sitting in her own sweat.
"You're really not coming in?" Fleur frowned as she popped up from under the water.
"Leave her alone." Gabrielle pushed her sister. "You know Hermione isn't going to do anything she doesn't want to."
"I don't know about that." Fleur grinned slyly as she ducked back under the water and swam towards the british girl eyeing her warily.
When Fleur came back up, she was right in front of Hermione who sat a couple feet above her. Hermione just narrowed her eyes as Fleur pressed her hands to the other girl's inner thighs, spreading them open so she could comfortably stand between those lithe legs.
"Your hands are cold." Hermione whined.
"Sorry." Fleur smiled sweetly, planting her hands on the ground next to Hermione's hips instead. "Better?" She asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Uh . . ." Hermione stuttered on a response. It was unfairly difficult to think with a half naked Fleur so close to her, dripping water onto her thighs while probing icy eyes stared through her. "I-I don't know if better is the right word."
Fleur hummed as she pushed herself up on her hands. The words 'off limits' and 'danger' idly ran through her head as she leaned up a bit, but she had a bad habit of acting on instinct instead of reason when it came to Hermione these days. She bit her lower lip as she tilted her chin up and brought her face closer to Hermione's.
"W-what are you doing?" Hermione nervously moved back while a devious smile took over the blonde's countenance.
One second, Hermione was sitting on top of the warm ground. The next, she felt cold arms wrap around her waist before she was pulled into the chilly water.
Hermione struggled against her captor, but Fleur effortlessly kept her tight hold. Hermione could tell the other girl was laughing even if she couldn't hear it by how her chest and entire body shook. Fleur was entirely too amused with herself.
When they finally popped back up for air, Hermione pushed the older girl away with a scowl while Fleur continued laughing.
"That wasn't funny."
"You can be such a jerk." Gabrielle growled in french to show how irritated she really was with her sister. She moved past the taller blonde, sending her a glare as she grabbed her best friend's arm to guide her away from the irritating dancer. "Why can't you just leave her alone? She didn't want to go in the pool."
An uncharacteristic frown took over the other girl's countenance. She was just having fun and if the bikini was anything to go by, Hermione had planned to go into the pool anyway. She didn't mean to upset the brunette. She was just trying to play around, but now Hermione seemed ruffled by her actions and refused to even look at her. It was honestly kind of hurtful.
"I was just joking." Fleur shot back, crossing her arms.
"Yeah, it was really funny." Gabrielle replied sarcastically for her friend.
Fleur opened her mouth to defend herself when Chase came back onto the pool deck. "I found the liquor stash." He grinned, holding a couple beers in his hand.
"I could have directed you there myself." Fleur sighed as she got out of the pool to grab the beer. "The French aren't frigid about drinking like you Americans and Brits."
"Leave the Brits out of it." Hermione replied as she ducked down into the water so only her eyes were showing. She tried to refrain from glaring at the couple now lounging and drinking on the deck, but constantly found her eyes drawn to the dancer. She would have to find a way to fix that and soon, because Gabrielle kept giving her odd looks. She wasn't being discreet at all.
Fleur didn't say anything to Hermione the remainder of their time at the pool and eventually, the couple got up to go do activities Hermione didn't really want to think about, leaving the pool deck open to lay on. Of course Hermione did just that, silently brooding as the sun warmed her skin. She wanted to be relieved to have the area to herself, but instead she felt sick thinking about what they could be getting up to in there. It's not like it was her business and it really shouldn't bother her, yet it was all she could think about.
It was all too confusing. She wanted to throw up when she saw how Chase grabbed Fleur. She wanted to scream when he made her giggle. She never thought much of these feelings until she started to notice how her heart raced around the other girl.
She spent too long admiring Fleur's figure, her smile, and those piercing eyes. She should be focused on other things than Fleur Delacour, but she couldn't get the volleyball player out of her head. Why was it so difficult to concentrate on anything else?
Why was Fleur constantly touching her? She shamelessly flirted with her and found any and every excuse to be near her. Maybe she was just overthinking things though. Even if she was into girls, she doubted Fleur Delacour would be interested in someone like her.
Before Hermione could get too lost in those thoughts, she heard the sound of the patio door sliding open again. Then she felt her hair being pushed back behind her ear and something being placed behind it.
"Wha-"
She looked up to see Fleur standing over her with that damned knee buckling smile.
Hermione sighed, pulling out the white rose she now knew was in her hair. "This again? Why must you insist on always putting flowers in my hair?"
"Don't take it out." Fleur huffed. "You look so pretty with it in."
"I'm fine without it." Hermione bit back.
"Yeah, you are." Fleur winked at the bookworm.
Hermione felt her cheeks heat up and not due to the sun shining down on her as Fleur breezed away. Fleur Delacour was too smooth for her own good. She detested that the older girl could make her so flustered so easily and then walk away as if she hadn't just shamelessly flirted with her.
'It doesn't mean anything.' Hermione sternly told herself as she eyed the flower in her hand.
"What is going on with you two?" Gabrielle asked with a furrowed brow, glancing from where Fleur departed to her friend who was clearly out of sorts.
"N-nothing." Hermione put on what she hoped to be a reassuring smile while the french girl eyed her suspiciously.
"If you say so . . ."
Hermione sunk into the chair, just wishing she could disappear and be away from this baffling situation. 'God, you really are in trouble, Granger.'
AN: Ahhh, the flower in the hair gets me every single time. I love writing them with no magic and adore this version of Fleur and Hermione. I especially like when Fleur beats people up :3 Personally, I like starting at the end and going back to the beginning so I promise we will get to how Hermione got a black eye haha I had so much fun writing this and hope you guys enjoyed it. There is definitely more coming soon :) As always, I would love to hear your guys' thoughts :)
P.S. I super swear I am also working on TBT :)
P.S.S. It was zerodawn22's birthday yesterday so feel free to flood her stories with reviews and PM her since she held this fandom on her back for so long haha